A lifestyle to die for

The death of a 23-year-old white-collar worker Fang Yan, who died after massive bleeding caused by an acute stomach ulcer, has sparked a wave of online discussion. According to her doctor, the ulcer was caused by irregular eating habits and long-term stress at work. Her death prompted many people to reflect on their own lifestyles.?

@Xinlangpinglun Official, Weibo account of Sina.com's Comment channel

Many people see themselves in?the young girl's sad?fate: sacrificing health and rest for work and survival. If there?were a more humane social system, "working till death" would be a mere exception rather than a severe social concern.

@Caolinlin, Host at Liaoning Radio and Television?

So sad to see a 23-year-old girl died of a stomach ulcer. It is a?wakeup call?to us all, especially those who do not take their health seriously. We should not be blamed for working hard, because that is what we live by and live for. However, we should give up our habits of staying up late at night, spending too much time on the Internet, and?excessive drinking and smoking. While we think we are making the best of our youth, what we are actually doing is exhausting our health. Care for ourselves from now on.

@Qingchunhubei, Official Weibo account of the Communist Youth League of Hubei province

According to Fang Yan's Weibo posts, her long-term state of working overtime, sometimes even into midnight, and having supper after 9 pm may be the root cause of her death. It is supposed to be a warning to "workaholics" that heavy workload should never prevent you from eating regularly. After all, there is always more work to be finished, but no more life to live. Only when you have a good health can you work more efficiently and effectively.

@Youmiwang, Official Weibo account of Uniwi.com

Please everyone, treat our stomach well and have a check whether you are harming it by doing these: 1. having meals irregularly; 2. living under high stress; 3. loving smoked, hot or spicy food; 4. smoking or drinking excessively; 5. ignoring dietetic hygiene; 6. taking irritating medicine; 7. soaking rice in soup; 10. eating acid fruits with an empty stomach.

@Weiruan MSN, Official Weibo?account of Microsoft Service Network?

It is said that on December 14, 2011, she was still at work with?a painful?stomach-ache. On December 15, 2011, she was diagnosed with acute gastritis and passed away the next day. Nowadays white-collar workers are pushing themselves so hard for high salary, without realizing high salary is just a means of improving the living standard. Sacrificing life for income is no more than putting the cart before the horse.

Balancing work and health has been and will always be a major concern for anyone with a job. Fang's death is also not the first of its kind. From the death of famous director Chen Yifei and the outstanding entrepreneur Wang Junyao, to that of ordinary workers like Fang Yan, all these seem to prove a heavy workload is a killer. It is an irreversible trend that work is taking up a bigger part of life, but should we set a limit for our own benefit? When we are making accomplishments, are we really aware of the price we are paying for?